Visual Novels

[ainsoph9]

Outside of the "true ending" being labelled the "true ending," what makes it the "true ending?" In a sense, are not all of the other endings "true endings" holding the same validity as the labelled one?

[shichinanatsu]

@A-kun: that would probably be true for harem-styled chara-ge.. imo, wouldn't the "true end" be the protag-main heroine ending? or perhaps the ending that most successfully connects a title to its sequel? another approach may be the ending that manages to weave all the branched story lines together, after they've led to their respective chara ends..

this'd be easier if we had examples to work with though.. so far i can think of:

Spoiler! :

kanon-air-clannad
dc2 (epilogue/prologue to dc3)
fortune arterial
se.kirara
ushinawareta mirai wo motomete

[ainsoph9]

So, I guess that my next question is: how does one define and identify the main female protagonist? In real life, no such thing exists, except for the fact that all of us are the main protagonists of our own lives in a sense. It is not like we automatically know who the main female protagonist is all of the time at first sight.

[jonathanasdf]

with lots of games it's easy to identify the "true end" though, because there is a requirement to finish all other ends before it's unlocked...

[d34thw1ng]

just wait for the expansion and u will know witch end is the true ending XD, other way it is hard to tell... for me the true ending for black bible is when the protagonist kill the devil and become the devil, not when the protagonist kill the devil and destroy everything else related to it... (in the sequel the former is used for the continuation)

and for what ain said... in games almost 95% of the time the 1st female u met is the main female protagonist

irl .... (i guess ur question was for this) idk... make ur harem 1st and u will know? XDDDD

[Aegis-]

I can only guess that your PC is not up to spec for Melty Blood.

You are correct that is where most of it happens, and it just so happens also that those are the ones that tend to get ported over to the anime scene for whatever reason.

As for School Days, if we define "bad ending" as everyone not singing and dancing a skip off into the sunset, School Days has more than three bad endings. Arguably, most, if not all, are bad endings in some way or form. If I cannot have resolution and the lack of a bad aftertaste in my mouth, that is a bad ending for me.

Which game are you talking about?

Well, when referring to "bad ends" for School Days, I was referring to the three death scenes for each of the heroines. I haven't played through the game so I don't know the full taste and feel of the other 18 endings but I'm pretty certain none of them are truly defined as 'bad ends'; at least, in my book.

And I was referring to that game you linked, Web Koihime Musou. I actually started playing and and really like it. I'm the kind of guy who likes simulation games, esp when it comes to building stuff (hence why I chose reargard. xD) I was so impressed that I actually found the game, played the demo, then immediately bought the game. It's actually pretty good, Koihime Musou. The overall uselessness of the MC, though, still irks me some. lol

And to refer to ainsoph9's question:

So, that brings up a couple of questions. How many of you think of what happens after the official ending? After the ending, do you think that the after-story after ending is sweet, bitter, bittersweet, or what? What games fall into those categories, and what are their ratings (i.e., 15+, 18+, etc.)?

I would think that'd depend on the game, on the genre that said game is defined in and depends on the true ends of what the creators wanted to be the true ending of the game. I guess it also is up to most of the fans to elaborate on what may happen next, so to speak. Referring to School Days, I'd honestly wouldn't know. I don't exactly know about the official ending nor do I particularly care, ultimately. I'm sure it's not some sort of "and they lived happily ever after" sort of thing. lol

And to your other question, I do believe you can't exactly think in that way. True endings, I think, are the endings that the creators originally wanted the game to end. But that isn't to say that all the other endings are "false", per sey. All endings are endings in the sense of the game depending on the choices the main protagonist (played through the player) makes throughout the story. Plus the way I've seen in in a number of KEY's games, the true endings are the endings that tend to have the most meat; the most story and explains the most about what has been/is going on in the world the characters live in.

Of course, this is just my opinion. Also, long wall of text is long. @.@ Sorry. D;

[ainsoph9]

I am glad that you are enjoying "Web Koihime Musou." I have yet to play it, but I intend to do so next week.

Concerning "true endings," my question is not so much to create dichotomy between "true" and "false" endings. Rather, I am trying to view such endings from the perspective of real life as the main protagonist. As the main protagonist in real life, I would not know who my main female protagonist is nor would I know the "true ending" for my life. In a sense, just like VNs, my decisions determine where I will end up. One of the disadvantages of being the main character is that I do not know what the creators of my "game" life consider to be the "true ending." So, all I am doing right now is trying to view things a bit more philosophically with a thought experiment. Do with it as you please.

[hobogunner]

Got my School Days disk, now to leave it sealed.

[ainsoph9]

That is why you need to order at least two more copies.

[hobogunner]

Why two more?

Other than that....got nothing.

[ainsoph9]

One to play for yourself and one to lend out to your friends.

[Aegis-]

It's really quite an enjoyable game. Though with me, I kept to the rearguard so i'm mostly playing it as a simulator more than anything. But it definitely helps kill time and makes it worth my time waiting since it's real time when it comes to building and training troops.

Ahhh, I see what you mean there. That does make sense when you think about it along a more realistic sense of the game. That's not a bad idea to humor yourself in such a way since that is a different outlook on VN's, I think.

I know with me, the first time I tend to go through a VN, I tend to immerse myself to the point of almost obsession to be as close to the heroines as possible. Also tends to be a bad thing when I get a bad end, like that depressing ending I got in Let's Meow Meow a few years ago. Still gets me every now and then, hahaha!

[ainsoph9]

I started playing Web Koihime Musou. I intend to max everything out before going on the offensive. It is a fun game overall.

[larethian]

By the way, 2 route patches are already out for Fortune Arterial, in case anyone is interested.

[loliDragon]

By the way, 2 route patches are already out for Fortune Arterial, in case anyone is interested.

^^ Oh!! I remember when I went through it with with AGH, that was one hell of the game.
Would be interesting to go through it with out having to read 4 types of translations to get some general idea what the hell is going on...